The problem of designing a stable recursive digital filter to have an arbitrarily prescribed frequency response may be considered as an approximation problem. Using the minimum

- error criterion, a new problem of minimizing a function of

variables results, which is successfully solved using the Fletcher-Powell algorithm. An important theorem guaranteeing the existence of a stable optimum for a large class of synthesis problems is stated, and necessary modifications to the Fletcher-Powell algorithm to assure stability are considered. Finally a number of results of the application of this method are given.